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Team Concise are heading for Brazil

This year's youngest team take the helm in a Ker Class 40

Hamble Yacht Services have recently seen the extremely early morning arrival and very late evening departure of a most industrious on-shore crew who are dedicating every hour of daylight to fine tuning Team Concise.

‘Concise 8’ is a KER Class 40 built by McConaghy and is one of one hundred and thirty Class 40’s that are currently sailing and competing around the world. Skippering ‘Concise 8’ is Ned Collier-Wakefield, who is shortly to take on the Transat Jacques Vabre race, starting from La Havre in France and finishing in Itaja, Brazil. Ned will be accompanied on the arduous five and a half thousand mile race by his good friend and team mate, Sam Goodchild. Notably, these two are the youngest team to compete in this year’s challenge, which comprises of 25 other boats, all carrying double handed crews. But there is history here and something to prove. Ned told us…

“ Both Sam and myself competed in the same race two years ago but had to retire from the lead because the hull broke in really bad storms mid Atlantic. We are now chomping at the bit, because clearly, we have ‘unfinished business’.”

The ‘Concise 8’ design project began 2 years ago and Ned worked alongside Simon Schofield and Jason Ker who both ensured that the details were to Ned and Sam’s specifications. Ned spent 3 months project managing the build in China, and since then,with Sam, and a professional crew, has been ensconced at HYS where they have also enlisted the racing boat facilities of the yard and its pool of experts. Ned assured us that the following sentiments were offered on behalf of everyone involved with Team Concise when he asked if we could print a huge thank you to everyone at HYS for all the help they provided.

” They were literally at our beck and call for every eventuality over the last two months. Their input has been absolutely invaluable and we couldn’t have made the race start without them.”

With the boat finely tuned and at her racing optimum, Ned and Sam head to La Havre next Monday and will begin the Transat Jacques Vabre on November the 3rd. The future certainly looks bright for Team Concise as they’ll be following the challenge with the Atlantic Cup, the Caribbean 600 and the Route de Rhum, scheduled for 2014.

Both Hamble Yacht Services and Ancasta wish them all the very best, and we’ll keep you up to date on their progess.